College hoops practice begins in earnest this weekend, and as is always the case in mid-October there are questions, questions, questions surrounding every program. Here are five each for New Jersey’s Big East squads:

SETON HALL

1. How well will the two-headed point guard function?

Sophomore Jordan Theodore is itching for more playing time, and rightly so after the promise he showed as a freshman. Senior Eugene Harvey is a talent and a program staple, but he’s exhibited some critical late-game lapses. Finessing this pair will be one of Bobby Gonzalez’s biggest challenges.

2. Is Jeremy Hazell ready to shoot less and pass more?

He’d better be, because there are more mouths to feed on the floor—-and capable ones at that. The Pirates no longer need the junior sharpshooter to score 25 a game. He’ll still light it up at times, but he can do just as much damage by passing out of the inevitable double teams and junk zones.

3. Can somebody handle being the eighth man?

The downside of depth is that some good players have to wait their turn to get on the floor. Having Stix Mitchell as a sixth man and Jeff Robinson as the third player off the bench is a bonus if those players accept the roles. The Hall’s up-tempo style should lead to frequent substitutions, which will help.

4. Can they run some offense through Herb Pope?

The Pirates have been a guard-driven program under Gonzalez, but they finally have a legitimate power forward. You have to feed the beast at least a little. By the same token, will Pope roll up his sleeves and rebound and do the interior dirty work that has been so lacking over the past couple of years?

5. Will everyone walk the straight and narrow?

It’s no secret that some of the players have had off-the-court issues in the past. There are some explosive personalities here, and if properly channeled this will be an exciting team to watch. If not, well, grab a helmet and buckle your seat belt . . .

RUTGERS

1. How long will it take James Beatty to acclimate?

You can’t survive the Big East without quality point guard play, and Rutgers has been Exhibit A. It’s a heavy yoke to place on a JUCO no one really knows much about, but Beatty’s learning curve will be the single biggest factor determining how much the Scarlet Knights improve this season.

2. Is Mike Rosario ready to shoot less and pass more?

Rosario logged spectacular moments as a freshman, but he also shot Rutgers out of some games. Head coach Fred Hill believes the team’s talent level has risen appreciably from last season. If that’s the case, Rosario should have no problem letting his supporting cast eat a bigger piece of the offensive pie.

3. Will leaders emerge and chemistry develop?

The Scarlet Knights flunked chemistry last year. In that sense, having six new faces in uniform should be a good thing. But it takes time for so many new parts to jell. With just one senior on the roster, some underclassmen have to step up. Florida transfer Jonathan Mitchell is a leading candidate.

4. Can they run some offense through Gregory Echenique?

Given his size, skill set and maturity, there’s no reason the sophomore forward/center can’t be a double-double machine in the Big East. At times last year it seemed like he got lost offensively. Hill is challenging him to be more aggressive, and feeding him the ball early and often would help that.

5. Is there any reason to be optimistic?

It’s hard to say until the ball goes up in mid-November, but outsiders are understandably pessimistic after an 8-44 Big East ledger over the past three years. The onus is on the coaches and players to rebuild some of the dwindling fan base.